Gradated Heat

Hola peeps! Today I have a review on a blush that I harped on about in my May Favourites, and that I have been using a whole heck of a lot since I bought it! It is the Essence Blush Up! in Heat Wave. It is part of Essence's latest new releases, and I snapped it up because a) LOOK at that ombre, b) the shade is right up my street and c) I love Essence blushes.

L-R: Orange side, blended, Pink side

I have to say, I think the packaging on this blush is really sleek. It's a simple clear, plastic square that allows you to see the gorgeousness within. It's minimalistic yet functional. One niggle though is that the corners are quite sharp! Be careful kids! Also, while I can appreciate that Priceline seals their stuff with sticky tape, it's SO annoying now that I have sticky residue left on my product (can't really see it in these photos, but trust me, it's there). 

As you can see, the blush consists of a two shade ombre; a vivid peachy orange and a hot pink, which blend together to create a lovely, vibrant peachy-pink coral shade. This stuff is pretty pigmented, but in saying that I almost feel like it retains translucency. Obviously you wouldn't want to apply blush opaquely, but there's something about this blush that really allows your skin to show through, like your freckles, etc, leaving a really nice translucent, sheer overlay of colour. I really like the finish and think it looks very natural. The blush is matte but not flat looking on the skin. I will say that it can be a bit chalky on the skin, but when applied and blended with a brush, it looks perf. Because it's so pigmented, I don't find it ideal to swirl your brush in the pan to mix the colours. I typically just dab my brush in the middle of the pan, but I also find if you 'roll' your brush over the pan, it blends the colours together when you apply it to your face.

I also found the staying power to be surprisingly good on this blush. I find it is still there at the end of a 10 hour day, faded slightly but still there. Typically only my theBalm blushes last that long, so props to you Essence!

So there you have it! Heatwave ain't just a pretty face, he's very functional too! I highly recommend you guys check out this blush, and ASAP if you would like! Although it's part of their regular range, we all know how much Essence likes to discontinue bestsellers...it retails for AUD$6.45.